Coppola enters cannabis game

Filmmaker-turned-winemaker Francis Ford Coppola is the latest high profile drinks maker to enter the cannabis game with lifestyle brand ‘The Grower Series’.

Director Francis Ford Coppola is the latest winemaker to enter the cannabis game

As reported by WineBusiness.com, Coppola’s cannabis collection comes housed on a tin shaped like a red wine bottle with an embossed marijuana leave emblem. Inside the tin are three grams of weed, a glass pipe, matches and rolling paper.

The limited edition tins include three appellation-specific organic cannabis flower strains chosen to offer the user “distinct and memorable experiences that reflect the diverse microclimates of Humboldt County.”

The Grower Series features three cannabis strains that show off the diverse microclimates of Humboldt County

Mimicking a wine label, Coppola’s cannabis tin states that that contents inside was “sungrown in Humboldt County”, in a nod to the importance of terroir in wine.

The “uplifting” sativa-dominant strain is cultivated at Tan Oak Farms at an elevation of 1,700 feet, which benefits from continuous sunshine.

The indica-dominant strain meanwhile, said to” relax the body and mind”, is nurtured at Benbow Farm at an elevation of 600 feet.

Completing the trilogy is a “mood and focus enhancing” strain grown at the cooler location of Salmon Creek Farm at an elevation of 2,400 feet.

Coppola is a canny entrepreneur keen to capitalise on current trends, and is aiming with his Grower Series to champion high quality, terroir-driven cannabis made in a sustainable way. He will be rolling out the product online.

“Wine and cannabis are two ancient and bounteous gifts of Mother Nature, linked by great care, terroir and temperateness. Expertise making one applies to the other,” Coppola said.

To get around the fact that wineries aren’t legally allowed to sell cannabis, according to WineBusiness.com, Coppola’s Grower Series is a separate company to his wine venture and involves a licensing partnership with growers in Humboldt County.

“This is another avenue we’ve created for a tasting experience,” Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s chief executive, Corey Beck, told WineBusiness.com.

“We need to be able to market to our consumers, wherever they may be. If they are in a dispensary, they can see that bottle and it may resonate with them the next time they see that bottle when they’re in a Safeway or Kroger.

“Education is important so that cannabis-curious consumers can engage in the emerging space with knowledge to safely discover preferences and with confidence to maximize enjoyment,” he added.

Helping to promote The Grower Series, Copppla has collaborated with The Herb Somm, a lifestyle brand focusing on the gourmet side of the cannabis industry.

The Grower Series is available online via CaliChill.com and went on sale this week at select California dispensaries.